


Sharing the Secret

by A Small World (Datawolf39)



Series: Caring for The Doctor [2]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Acceptance, Age Regression/De-Aging, Fluff, Hugs, Non-Sexual Age Play, not timeline specific, the doctor can purr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:21:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22227826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Datawolf39/pseuds/A%20Small%20World
Summary: Yasmin and Ryan find out
Relationships: !3 and team Tardis
Series: Caring for The Doctor [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599967
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	Sharing the Secret

**Author's Note:**

> Fluff that is all.

Graham woke to find that The Doctor was looking at him, perhaps he should have been more unsettled by that than he was, but he had spent last night watching over her to make sure she was calm and safe, and either way, she wasn’t looking at him in an accusing way or even in an angry one, in fact, she seemed a bit sheepish..

“Morning Doc,” he said gently.

“Morning Graham,” she said clearly, and Graham realized that at some point she had removed the dummy from last night. He decided to blame not noticing that detail sooner on the fact that he had just woken up, and leave it at that. “I suppose you’ll be wanting an explanation for last night?” she asked quietly.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to Doc. I’m just happy that I was there when you needed someone.”

“I suppose I really should tell you, not like it won’t ever happen again, it’s just a really embarrassing part of being me, and now that you know, I can’t exactly hide it from the rest of the fam, that wouldn’t be fair at all. Do you think Yaz, and Ryan would be okay with it? They won’t will they? They’re going to leave! If they leave will you leave too!? Rassilon, I should have been more careful, I always tell myself to be more careful, but I never listen, do I? Nope, Doctor just flies in the magic box without listening! That’s always been my problem-”

Graham spots the dummy on the end table, and even though she isn’t in the same state as she was last night, he knows a comfort item when he sees one. He deftly reaches over her, and in her panic, she must fail to notice this obvious movement, because when he put the dummy in her mouth, she gazes up at him in shock.

“No,” he tells her, when she makes a move to remove the dummy, “You were starting to panic, so I need you to listen to me. I would like to know what happened, but you don’t have to tell me if it is too much for you,” he reiterated. “If, and when you tell Ryan and or Yasmin, I have to believe they care enough about you, that they won’t react the way that you seem to think they will. Now nobody is leaving you, so just take it easy alright.”

She takes out the dummy, and this time he lets her. “Sorry,” she mumbled sheepishly. “I tend to stress over this.”

Graham gave her a look that showed how surprised he was at such a revelation.

The Doctor chuckled, “Guessed that have ya?”

“A bit obvious yeah,” Graham replied.

The Doctor took a breath. “Sometimes I need to be cared for,” she starts. “People often label me childish because of the way I act, and they are not wrong. The weight of timelines, and my choice to leave my people, just leave me a little more broken than normal at times, and I just need some simplicity. Sometimes I need someone to help me with the simple things so that I can face the universe again the next time that it needs saving.”

“That is not a bad thing Doc, it actually makes a lot of sense. Everyone looks to you for answers all the time, it’s only fair that you would want the chance to have others give you answers in return.”

“I never thought of it like that,” she said quietly. 

“Now what is the plan for today? Are we going to some crazy planet or do you just want to take a day off?”

“...Day off,” she said hesitantly, “Do you think the others will mind?”

“Not at all Doc.”

“What if... I wanted to spend the day the same mental space as the night before?”

“I know I wouldn’t mind, and I doubt that they would either. It really is your choice Doc.”

~

“Yaz, have ya seen Gramps around anywhere? I went to his room, and he wasn’t there.” Ryan asked as he entered the kitchen.

Yasmin frowned. “No I haven’t. Usually he’s made breakfast by now. What about The Doctor? Have you seen her this morning?”

Ryan shook his head. “Don’t think they would have went on an adventure without us do ya?”

“Course not Ryan,” Yasmin scoffs.

“Why wouldn’t we?” Graham asks as he enters the kitchen. “Might be fun eh Doc?”

Until he had said something, Ryan, and Yasmin hadn’t noticed that she was behind Graham. 

“You okay?” Yasmin asked.

The Doctor peeked out from behind Graham, before flushing, and hiding away again.

“No need to be shy Doc, it’s just Yasmine, and Ryan,” Graham said gently.

The Doctor peeked out again, and slowly stepped away from Graham. She was looking at the floor, and seemed to be shaking quite a bit. She was still wearing her nightgown, and had on a pair of slippers with the head of something that looked like what a bunny would look like the person that made it was drunk and had never seen a bunny before. As the silence continued, she seemed to grow more nervous, and began to make sounds that were clearly a prelude to tears. 

“What’s the matter?” Yasmin asked gently, as she walked over to The Doctor. Green eyes locked with hers, and Yasmin could tell that this was a side to The Doctor that she was unfamiliar with, because of the vulnerability that was shining through.

“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you, we’re friends, right?”

The Doctor nodded, and after a moment of indecision, she opened her arms, clearly asking for a hug.

It was a bit strange, but Yasmin didn’t think twice before pulling her into a hug. After a minute or so, Yasmin became aware of a sound that was quite similar to a-

“Doctor, are you… purring?”

The sound stuttered once, then resumed.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, “I know it’s weird.”

“I think it’s cute.”

“My turn,” Ryan said, playfully shoving Yasmin out the way. The Doctor giggled, and Ryan smiled as he embraced her. 

Again a purr rumbled. “That is so cool,” Ryan said as he pulled away.

The Doctor made eye contact with Graham, and beckoned him over for a hug. The older man obliged, and she whispered, “Was stressed, and tired,” into his ear, before snuggling into the hug, and purring.

Graham pulled away, with a smile. “Who’s ready for breakfast?” he asked.

Three overlapping calls affirmation later, and he was pulling out ingredients for breakfast. While Graham was busy making the food, the other three sat at the table. “So are you gonna tell us what’s going on with you now?” Yasmin asked. 

“Sometimes I just need to be younger. To be cared for like a child,” she explains. “I know it doesn’t make much sense, but-”

“It does though,” Yasmin interrupted gently. “Everyone needs something that calms them down, and people in authority often seek methods where they can be more submissive.”

“Doc, compared with some of the alien stuff we’ve seen, this is kinda normal ya know.”

The Doctor looked like she could be blown over with a slight breeze. An ecstatic grin came over her, in the same instant as a wave of relieved tears. It all made her look like a loon, she suspected, but she was thrilled, overcome with joy. They didn’t think she was a freak, and none of them had rushed to pack so that they could leave. She would get to keep her friends, even though her secret was out in the open.

“Thank you,” she said once she had managed to gain some control over herself.

“For what?” Ryan asked.

“For being amazing,” she said.


End file.
